


Assets

by Wolfs_Cry



Category: Final Fantasy XV, Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, HighSpecs, Rare Pairings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 10:46:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27469732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfs_Cry/pseuds/Wolfs_Cry
Summary: “Let’s go.” Crowe hands Nyx his helmet. “We should… find somewhere to rest.”Although he takes it from her, he’s quiet for a while. “Yeah. Okay.”But they know.Rest might not come for a while.Not anytime soon.Or:An Avengers-inspired AU.
Relationships: Aranea Highwind/Ignis Scientia, Crowe Altius & Nyx Ulric, Crowe Altius & Pelna Khara, Crowe Altius/Gladiolus Amicitia





	Assets

Crowe glances at the couple at the other corner of the dingy fast food chain again. The girl’s head is now on the guy’s shoulder, her arm wrapped around his, as she laughs at something he says.

Again.

Her occasional bright laughter rings throughout the whole place—which isn’t big—and it only heightens Crowe’s nerves. She has a full view of the couple as they sit on the same bench, whispering sweet nothings into each other’s ears, most probably, while they eat their burger and fries leisurely. She doesn’t have the luxury to do that.

There’s a pat on her arm.

“You should eat up.” Nyx glances at her half-eaten meal. “We got to go.”

“I could finish it later.” She’s not sure if she wants to stay here any longer. Apart from them and the shopkeeper, the couple’s the only other ones here. She feels that they’re too exposed. 

She looks at his meal. He’s almost down to his last bite.

“You won’t be able to eat while we ride. And we might not have the time to stop later.” Nyx gestures for her to eat up.

So she quickly does.

She glances at the couple again. They arrived around five minutes after them. She tries to take note of their appearances. She can only tell that the girl has black hair as the guy’s hair is hidden beneath his cap. Facial features, not much to go on. The girl has heavy make up on while the guy’s features are obscured behind dark shades. And the dark corner they’re in doesn’t help.

When she glances at them again to take note of their clothes, her eyes meet with the girl’s. She thinks the girl’s arm tighten around the guy’s. She’s not sure. Neither of them looks away. It’s only a moment, but she feels that the girl’s eyes are too clear.

Too discerning.

Crowe feels that maybe the girl knows who they are and why they’re trying to remain incognito. And if the couple was in her full view, that meant she and Nyx are in theirs too.

She doesn’t like that.

They could be Imperials.

“We should go,” she says to Nyx. Stuffs the last bite of her burger into her mouth.

He waits until she’s ready before standing with her, collecting her rubbish along with his. He dumps them on their way out and they walk briskly to their bike at the storefront, careful not to appear like they’re running away. When she gets onto the bike behind him, he passes her her helmet.

She remembers something right before he puts on his. She leans over to him. “The couple, saw their clothes?”

He slips on his helmet and kickstarts the bike, before turning to her. “Plain t-shirts and jeans,” he says, raising his voice a little over the roar of the engine.

And they’re off.

* * *

  
“Is this even enough?” Crowe looks at Nyx. 

“No.” He doesn’t even blink. But then, he exhales. “I don’t know.” 

She can only wait as he continues filling the bike up with petrol, its gushing hiss enveloping them as no one says anything more. Expectedly, there isn’t anyone at the petrol station too, just like all the other places they’ve been passing. Well, apart from the shopkeepers. It’s almost night.

After a moment, he looks up. “I don’t even know where we’re going.”

She exhales. “Yeah.”

The scenery’s almost always just drab, drab, and more drab. It was either dirt or ruins everywhere. They’ve been laying low for days now, just wandering around the outlying districts of Lucis. She’s not sure if it’s even the right decision.

The safest decision.

There’s a click, then Nyx is putting the pump back into its holder. She watches as he screws the bike’s petrol cap back on. She doesn’t even know where he got the bike from. Never seen him ride it before. When they’d warped across the channel from Galahd onto Lucis grounds, it was already stashed there, waiting for them.

He’s regarding her with a look when she turns to him.

She cocks a brow.

“You’re not… angry?” He’s tentative. That much, she can tell.

“What for?” She wraps her arms around herself. “I don’t even know where to go.” 

He looks away. “Well, I dragged you along.”

“No. We couldn’t stay. And obviously, you’d already thought it out.” She gestures at the bike. “Thankfully.” He’d even stashed a small backpack with necessities under its seat. Like the money they’ve been living off the past few days.

She should do something about that.

He shakes his head. “No, not enough. Now what?”

She doesn’t answer.

Now, they’re sitting ducks, knowing it’s only a matter of time before the Imperials return. But not to recruit them. To exterminate them. Any of them left. They’ve resisted the Imperials long enough, and the Imperials had been sending wave after wave of MTs onto their island for as long as she could remember.

“Let’s go.” She hands him his helmet. “We should… find somewhere to rest.”

Although he takes it from her, he’s quiet for a while. “Yeah. Okay.”

But they know.

Rest might not come for a while.

Not anytime soon.

* * *

  
Crowe stops.

The bell on the convenient store’s door handle just jingled.

It jingles again.

Someone’s here.

She’s still holding onto a discounted foodstuff that’s about to expire, so she resists the urge to just drop it and go. She quickly picks two rice rolls and two packs of buns for her and Nyx instead. Altogether, they’re not even five dollars and should keep them full enough until they’re able to make another necessary pit stop.

It’s unsurprising that there’s quite a selection to choose from. Most of the food would probably just go to waste if no one bought them.

If anyone ever came.

It’s a miracle that the owner can still keep this place running, out in the middle of nowhere. The fluorescent lamps above her buzz and flicker. Everything around her looks grey, apart from the pops of colour from the packagings on the shelves.

She starts to walk out of the aisle towards the counter but hesitates. She’s not sure if the new arrival has seen Nyx yet. Or her. Nyx was at the mouth of the second aisle, keeping an eye on the entrance, while she was picking up necessities at the store’s innermost aisle, furthest from the entrance.

The person could be anywhere by now. Most probably hasn’t left yet. She hasn’t heard the bell jingle another time.

She stops and listens closely.

Shuffling, then clicking.

The sound of heels clicking lightly.

Definitely not Nyx.

The person could be a woman.

Like the girl at the fast food chain.

Again, she resists the urge to just drop everything and make a break for it. Resists the urge to whip around and scan her surroundings. They really couldn’t appear suspicious. Or jumpy. Or pull on their magic. Absolutely not. And they needed food. Not that she hasn’t gone for a day without food before, but they needed all the energy they could get.

In case they needed to fight.

She makes herself go up to the counter and drop their foodstuff onto it instead. Casually. Nyx would show up and pay, then they’d be on their way.

He doesn’t.

When she looks up, the man at the counter is staring at her.

She tries to quirk her lips and puts up a hand.

Nyx. She just had to get Nyx. Where was he?

She doesn’t want to turn around, in case the girl is somewhere behind her and would recognise her, but she has to go and get Nyx so that he could pay for their food and they. Could. Go. She sighs internally and starts to turn—

She almost gasps.

An arm is around her shoulders.

“Hey.” Nyx smiles at the cashier. “So, how much?” He gestures at the foodstuff on the counter, already digging out coins from his pocket. He doesn’t look at her.

The transaction is swift and they’re making their way out of the shop in a few moments, a small plastic bag in hand. Nyx immediately drops it into his backpack as they make their way across the dirt street, towards the other row of shops there, dilapidated and shuttered. There aren’t any vehicles out here. At least, not many, if you counted their bike.

And another bike.

There’s a sleek, gleaming bike parked just across from the store’s front, looking new and expensive. Well taken care of.

She grabs Nyx’s arm in a—hopefully—casual manner and squeezes it in warning. They could never know if they were being watched.

“You think…?” His voice is low. He’s obviously noted the bike too.

“Yeah. Looks like from the cities.” She glances at him.

“Yeah.” They share a look.

And she’s not sure, but she says, “And the girl?”

His brows are raised. “You saw her?”

He guides her by the elbow, away from the front of a shop when she starts to look around. She can’t seem to remember where they hid their bike.

She follows him. “Ah… no. I heard them. Heels.”

He nods. “Blonde, flashy wear, studded leather jacket. Probably a tourist. Didn’t catch her face though.”

When they reach the side of a derelict petrol station—she now remembers, where they’d hidden their bike, behind what resembled a mini junkyard—she quickens her pace, pulling him along. He doesn’t need to be told twice.

In no time, they’re on the bike, speeding out of the ghost town.


End file.
